The present invention relates to a method for preparing a fibrous protein product.
The preparation of a fibrous protein product by heating a slurry of protein under pressure to let the same flow through a back-pressure generating orifice is well known in the art from numerous publications, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,662,671 and 3,662,672. The back-pressure generating orifice used in this prior art method is of a type having a relatively narrow opening, for example, having an internal diameter of not more than 1 mm and, therefore, the resultant protein product is in the form of extremely slender protein filaments. Since these slender protein filaments are so randomly oriented and so discontinuous that they can hardly be bundled into a tow, the fibrous protein product so formed according to the prior art method is extremely slender and short of a pleasing sensation to the mouth, as compared with minced meat. In view of this, the fibrous protein product according to the above described method is usually used in the form of a lump of slender protein filaments or in the form as dispersed in a molded material.
A method similar to that described above, but wherein the discharge of the treated protein slurry is carried out by means of atomization so that the resultant fine protein fibers can be dexterously intertwined to form a meat-like lump of fibers is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 54-44064 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,327). According to this method, even though it is successful in the manufacture of the lump of protein fibers, the resultant protein product lacks both the outer appearance and the mouthfeel similar to those afforded by the minced meat itself.